This year Channel Islands Dive Adventures is moving Bug Fest to San Nicholas Island home of the big boys and someplace we haven’t been to in quite a long time for bug season but to do this trip there is an added fuel surcharge as the ride out is much further then your normal trip. If the Military keeps us from going plan B will Santa Barbara Island. Again we have the Truth chartered for our 10th Annual CIDA Bug Fest on Friday & Saturday, October 11 & 12, 2019.

The plan is to board between 8:00-11:00 pm on Thursday and depart at midnight with us getting back about 6:00 pm Saturday evening. Two day trips are the best and this one you will not want to miss!

If all works out we will dive San Nick all day Saturday including a night dive and then later Saturday night we will move to Santa Cruz Island where we will finish up the trip. San Nick is home to the Big Boys and can be quite good and the reason for that is because the military can make it hard to go there, it is a long ways out and weather can sometimes be a problem. Given that you don’t know till you go and in fact it is probably some of the best bug diving you will find. There is lots of rocky shallow and deeper reefs all around the island with LOTS of places for the bugs to hang out in. Afterwards we will plan to move to the Yellowbanks area of Santa Cruz to finish out the trip.

This trip is mainly for bug hunters and if you are not a bug hunter there will still be plenty of diving for you. Also, if you would like to learn more about bug hunting & techniques this trip is for you.

This trip is best suited for Experienced OW divers and above that have experience in cold water conditions including; current, swell and possible limited visibility. Most importantly, good buoyancy control is needed and surface signal tubes are always recommended.

Trip Details

Where: 10th AnnualBug Fest-San Nicholas & Santa Cruz Islands

Depart from: Sea Landing, Santa Barbara

When: Friday/Saturday, October 11 & 12, 2019

Time: Board 8:00-11:00 pm on Thursday depart at midnight and back Saturday at 6:00 pm

The Truth is the original Truth Aquatics boat, and thanks to regular updates and maintenance it remains a world-class liveaboard diving and excursion vessel. It is an ideal entry level boat for smaller charters and groups of friends. The versatile Truth is equally at home running to San Miguel for spear fishing excursions as it is spending lazy days with kayakers at Painted Cave, doing photo trips to the rigs down south as well as some specialty trips diving wrecks such as the ones Channel Islands Dive Adventures plans to do aboard the Truth.

The Truth was built in Venice, California and launched in 1974. She is 65’x 22′ and with a cruising speed of 10 knots and 550 nautical mile range she is ready to go anywhere in SoCal. She is powered by two Detroit diesels and has two generators to supply everyone with plenty of power. The Truth was built for comfort and has a large galley fully ready to make meals for the hearty divers that like to call her home on dive trips to the Channel Islands and beyond. There is also a BBQ for cooking tri tip and chicken for multi-day trips and a good sized sundeck built above the galley. There are also 2 heads and 3 showers (1 on deck, 2 below deck) and a 1050 gallon fresh water capacity.

The dive deck is spacious and has seating for you and your gear as well as room for some of the bags underneath the bench seats and there is always room along the sides for more bags. The Stern Compartment is used for a drying room for wetsuits, game freezingg and it is where the clothes dryer is. If you are a hunter there is also live game wells built in the transom for game storage. For filling tanks there are 2 Ingersoll-Rand air compressors aboard capable of filling to 3500 P.S.I. and no nitrox. For safety they have a full first aid kit, O2 bottles, Auto Defibrillator, Certified Crew and a 16 foot Caribe chase boat with 40 HP Honda 4-stroke outboard.

For the bunk room there is room for 45 people maximum consisting of 12 double bunks and 20 single bunks. See bunk room layout here. Each bunk has pillows, blankets, curtains, and reading lights and there is also a dressing room located in the bunk room. The bunks are a good size with plenty of headroom to make you feel more at home rather than being squashed into a small space. If you would like to be even more comfy a sleeping bag is always recommended.

The Truth is based out of the Sea Landing in Santa Barbara with the Vision and Conception

Gear Rentals: If you need gear rentals you have 2 choices-contact the Truth Aquatics Sea landing or get them through your local dive shop.

Fishing License: Unless you arrive during normal business hours, you will need to ensure you have a valid CA fishing license that covers the duration of our trip, Ocean Enhancement, and if you plan on taking Lobster, a Lobster Report Card. These items will not be available on board.

Parking at the Sea landing in Santa Barbara: There is plenty of parking close to the Truth. It is a paid parking area so you must get your ticket validated in the Sea Landing office before leaving so you can leave with paying only a very minimal fee.

Any trip on the Truth is always fun and Channel Islands Dive Adventures has several single day trips chartered on the Truth. Please check the Channel Islands Dive Adventures boat schedule and come join us on our next dive adventure aboard the Truth!

To sign up and pay for trip or if you have any questions, please contact Ken at

On all our local SoCal trips we offer 10% discounts for Students and Military, Fire & Law Enforcement personnel and 5% discounts to sponsoring dive clubs. When signing up online enter "Student", "Military", "Fire" or "Police" for the Promo code and for clubs enter your club code.